Lights
by chloerigby
Summary: Lorelei works as an assistant to the curator of the American Museum of Natural History, where a display of the history of Westeros is soon to be opened. On a night alone, Lorelei comes face to face with a piece of history that is all too real; Jon Snow.
1. Chapter 1

"This is the tackiest looking display I've ever seen!" Lorelei sighed at her boss's outburst, following him around the large room silently as he terrorized the workers that were set with the task of working on their newest feature on the history of Westeros. Dr. Stroup was waving his arms wilding, pointing out all of the things that he found wrong. "What do I even pay any of you for? I should just be doing this myself!" she watched in horror as he climbed up a small step ladder after someone, pulling them down to secure a house banner himself.

"Dr. Stroup, it's still not finished," she assured, rushing over to the museum's curator, fully prepared to catch him if he fell. "We still have until this weekend! I'm sure that everything will come together perfectly. We have a great staff after all."

He scoffed loudly. "Hardly! Be careful with that! It's centuries old!" he screamed across the room at two men who were carrying a large cross bow to it's place. "Honestly, it's about time I retire," he went on. "This place will be the end of me. Why I let you talk me into this I'll never know."

"Because, sir, people will love to see these things. You yourself were even excited to see them when they arrived, remember?" he was silent, which she knew was because she was right. "Please just get down from there. We need you alive for the opening. Alive and in one piece." Dr. Stroup reluctantly stepped down, fixing his suit before glowering at the workers who rushed around him...probably in fear. Lorelei had become his assistant four years ago, in what had started in an internship. While she'd wanted a higher position in the museum, she hoped working so closely with the curator might one day work to her advantage once he retired. However the demanding the work might be.

"I promise, I'll make sure everything is perfect. Why don't you go out for lunch? I'm sure by the time you get back I'll have everything under control."

Dr. Stroup was silent for a few passing moments before sighing loudly and a tad dramatically. "Well alright...I trust you. Don't be afraid to bring your fist down if these...hooligans aren't doing what you ask. I expect this to be handled with the same attention to detail that I execute, Lorelei."

She nodded, smiling. "Of course. Nothing will go wrong."

* * *

Lorelei was muttering under her breath as she traveled the empty halls from her office towards the entrance of the museum. She was balancing stacks of paperwork that her boss Dr. Stroup was supposed to have finished hours ago, but had instead laid on her desk for her to finish while he was out for the lunch she'd suggested...a long, _long_ lunch. The museum had closed about two hours ago, and she was sure she was probably the only soul left in the building aside from Henry, the night guard. He was a nice enough man, but in his mid fifties he didn't exactly make Lorelei feel content with her being under his sole protection, not to mention the fact that he was the one left to make sure nothing was stolen or vandalized during the night made her nervous enough as it was.

Heading down a small flight of stairs, Lorelei rounded the corner, taking a shortcut through a curtained off area and found herself back in the museums newest display; a look at the history of Westeros. They had only just finished putting the collection together a few hours prior to closing, just in time for it's big opening this coming weekend. Lorelei was excited about it herself, proud of the way it had all come together in the short time after Dr. Stroup leaving for the day.

It had already been a major feat getting all the artifacts for the museum in itself. There'd been a huge bidding war between a few other museums; a few in England and one in France, even a tacky tourist trap in Florida had shown an interest in the artifacts. But in the end Lorelei had convinced Dr. Stroup that their museum _needed _the display and that was that.

She looked over to the center of the room, catching a glimpse of what was left of the Iron Throne, the seat where countless amount of kings, good and bad, had once sat. Even though it wasn't still in one piece, it was easy to imagine just how impressive it had looked all those years ago in it's home of King's Landing. Surrounding the throne were banners from the many different houses of the time; Lannister, Baratheon, Stark and Targaryen being the main focal points of the display. A gate from the Castle Black sat behind the throne, it's size greatly towering over the Iron Throne, and even more surprising to Lorelei was that it still seemed almost perfectly intact even now.

Weapons, jewels and other artifacts that had been found in a dig just a few months ago sat in glass cases around the room and decorated the walls, even some labeled with whom they'd belonged to. What was maybe her favorite part of the display was what hanging up above the rest; a life sized replica of a dragon's skeleton. Of course it wasn't real (no one could determine whether or not dragon's truly had existed back then or if the Targaryen's were all just mad) but the sheer size of the creature had left her in awe of it.

Lorelei willed herself to exit the display and entered the main lobby, smiling politely at at Henry. "Finally heading out for the night?" he asked, setting his newspaper down on his desk.

"Yep, I'll just have to finish all this up at home before I end up falling asleep at my desk," she said with a small laugh before coming to a halt. "Dammit...I forgot one of the folders in Dr. Stroup's office," she huffed, setting the stack of files along with her bag down onto Henry's desk. "I'll be right back." she called over her shoulder, rushing back towards her office as fast as her heels would allow her.

She'd made it about half of the way through the room when the dizziness hit her. Afraid she might pass out, she leaned against a display case, eyes blinking furiously while she tried to make sense of what was happening. The room around her began to become hot, sweat quickly covering her forehead. What in the hell could this be? Was exhaustion setting in? Sure, she worked hard but was it really enough to make her pass out? After a few moments she realized it was much more than her being tired. The room was hazy around her, Lorelei unable to decide if it was just her eyes playing a trick on her or everything in the room really were becoming a blur around her. And before she could even begin to comprehend what brought on this change, a bright light surrounded her and disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. The room returned to normal, the entire event so quick Lorelei was almost unsure whether she'd imagined it or not.

"Maybe I should call in sick tomorrow." she mumbled, shaking her head and regaining her footing. She'd only taken a few steps before she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. And this something had definitely not been there the first time she'd come through the room. A man sat in the Iron Throne, looking just as confused as Lorelei felt. How could he have possibly gotten inside? Henry wasn't that incompetent at his job surely. Lorelei was frozen in shock as she looked up at him, her jaw dropping as she was at a loss for words.

The first thing she noticed was the cape. While it was winter in New York, she didn't exactly see many people walking around in fur lined capes...or rather wearing much of anything the man was wearing. She could almost mistake him for a part of the display she came to realize, and quickly wondered if he was some sort of extremely overzealous history buff.

She shook the thoughts from her head, stepping forward and trying to look as intimidating as a woman could look to a man with a sword strapped to him. "How in the hell did you get in here? Look I really don't want to have to call security…" she began. He looked over at her, but only for a moment before looking back at the things surrounding him. He looked down at his seat, jumping up from it as though it had burned him.

"Seven hells!" he exclaimed, turning his back to Lorelei and ignoring her all together. He reached forward and slowly touched the broken throne, his eyes wide. "...Where am I?" Lorelei wasn't sure if he were asking her or himself, but that didn't really matter to her. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently.

"You're in the Museum of Natural History. New York. Now, _how did you get in here_?" she demanded.

He turned to her, really seeing at her for the first time. He looked her up and down slowly, as if he were studying her. Suddenly he stood up straight before bowing before her. Was this guy serious? "My apologies miss...I'm actually not entirely sure how I got here," he began, finally answering her question. "One minute I was speaking to the Red Woman and now…" he turned away from her once again, looking around him. His eyes landed on the gate behind the throne, taking a step back in shock. "That gate...what's happened to Castle Black?" he asked again to no one in particular.

Lorelei frowned, moving closer to him. Even though she was sure he was out of his mind, she had to admit he was handsome. Scars included. What really struck her though was the fact that he was covered in snow. Along with his wind blown hair he looked as if he had just walked through a blizzard to get there, and it hadn't snowed in weeks in the city. "Look...I don't have time for this. I don't even care how you got in here, or why you're wearing that outfi-" he turned and looked at her again what an amused look.

"My outfit? I've never seen a lady dressed like that miss," he nodded to her dress. "Not even in the brothel's back home." Lorelei's eyes widened.

"_Excuse me_?" she was a few seconds from smacking this guy back to whatever planet he came from. The man held his hands up in defense, shaking his head.

"I meant no offense, I'm sorry...my name is Jon. Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch." there he went bowing again. Was this guy serious?

"Uh, Lorelei...of the Upper East Side...is this some sort of joke? Am I on one of those hidden camera shows?" Jon's eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not sure what you mean...you said we're in New York?" she nodded. "Whereabouts is that from the Wall?"

"The Wall?...As in Westeros?" she laughed, shaking her head. "Nowhere close. Not even the same continent." the sheer look of surprise on Jon's face made Lorelei feel like maybe this wasn't a joke after all. "Er...this Red Woman you mentioned? What about her exactly?" she asked, trying her very best to stay calm.

"Melisandre," he corrected. "Most call her the Red Woman. She came to Castle Black along with Stannis Baratheon. The last I remember, she told me a group of Wildlings were at the gate, she'd said they wanted a truce between the Wildlings and the Night's Watch. We both headed down to the gate to meet them, she had insisted on going...can't imagine why, but before I could open it she said I would understand all in due time why she was doing this. I didn't get a chance to ask what she was talking about, next thing I knew I was here…" Lorelei could feel her stomach with each word that left Jon's lips. Stannis Baratheon? This was almost too insane to be true. Jon clenched his hand into a fist and brought it down onto the throne, his jaw clenching. "I need to get home. Now."

Jon whipped around, taking off almost too fast for Lorelei to follow after. "Oooh no don't!" she said, grabbing him by the arm. Jon glared down at her, but stopped. "Look, I don't want to upset you, but I don't think you're gonna find home by walking outside. Or really any time soon…" she sighed. "Okay, this is so beyond my better judgement but for whatever reason I believe you...well, I think I do. We can go to my place and sort all of this out." Jon didn't seem all too pleased with this idea, but he wasn't shoving her aside and leaving, which she took as a good sign. "It's not too far from here, ten minutes walk tops." she assured him. Her hand slid from his arm down to his wrist, pulling him along behind him. She decided whatever paperwork she had to finish could definitely wait until tomorrow.

They only made it a few steps when Jon stopped, Lorelei huffing loudly. "What is it now? If we don't leave now Henry will come looking for us and we don't need that happening." but Jon was too busy looking around him to listen to her.

"...You haven't seen a wolf around here have you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Lorelei blanched at Jon's question. "A _wolf_? What in the hell do you mean have I seen a wolf?" she asked. Jon almost looked annoyed with her then.

"His name is Ghost. He's a direwolf. He was there with me, maybe he's here as well." any other questions she had were cut off when she heard a loud yelp coming from the lobby. She took off once again, running in to see poor Henry cowering behind his desk from the biggest wolf she'd ever seen in her life.

Ghost had jumped up, his front paws resting on Henry's desk and panting furiously. "Ghost!" Jon called, running in after Lorelei. The wolf looked over at the sound of his master's voice, jumping down from the table and running to Jon. He kneeled down, laughing while he scratched behind Ghost's ears. Henry peered up from behind his desk, looking between Jon and Lorelei in complete shock.

"Wha- what the hell is that thing? How'd it get in here? Who's he?" he asked, and what seemed like a million other questions following after. Lorelei helped Henry up, guiding him back to his seat while she quickly tried to come up with some sort of excuse. She figured if she told Henry that Jon and Ghost seemed to have traveled through time thanks to some sort of witch, he might actually have a heart attack.

"This is Jon. He's um...my cousin. Yeah," Jon looked up at Henry, smiling at him in greeting. "I forgot to tell you, I brought him in to sneak a peek at the new display. He's really into all that history stuff." she laughed nervously. "Ghost snuck away from us while I was showing him around is all, I'm really sorry, Henry." Jon finally stood, walking over to join the two, Ghost following at his heels.

"I'm sorry if he put a scare in you, he's harmless...well, for the most part." he said with a sheepish grin. Lorelei had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "We'll just be going now, we didn't mean to disturb you."

Henry shook his head. "No, no it's alright...just wasn't expecting it is all." he laughed, a hand resting over his heart. Lorelei picked up her belongings from where she'd left them, smiling at Henry and saying her goodbyes. Jon followed suit, he and his companion trekking out behind her outside. He froze on the sidewalk. Lorelei turned to see him gaping at his surroundings yet again, taking the city in for the first time.

"These buildings...they're almost as big as the Wall," he finally said. Ghost however was more preoccupied with the cars whizzing past the trio, taking a small step back with each vehicle that passed them. "What year is it?" he asked, now focused on Central Park that sat just across the street from them.

"2015," Lorelei answered, Jon's head whipping over to look at her. "Yeah, you're a looong way from home, dude." Jon frowned at her again.

"Dude?" he asked, Lorelei shook her head.

"Nothing. Come on, stay close to me, we're cutting through the park." although they both found it a bit comical that she felt the need to say that when he was carrying a sword, neither of them said anything. She waited for a break in traffic, leading Jon and Ghost across the street and into Central Park, silently amused with how fascinated Jon seemed to be with the city. She decided if they ever somehow had time, she'd have to take him to Times Square.

They travelled the short distance from the museum to her apartment building, a comfortable silence between them while Jon took in his surroundings. That is until they reached the elevator. "What's this?" he asked, refusing to step in.

Lorelei gave into the urge to roll her eyes this time, her finger pressed down on the button to keep the doors open. "An elevator..." she thought better of it when Jon only looked more confused. "A lift? It takes you from one floor to another?" this seemed to be familiar with him and he finally stepped into the elevator, Ghost following.

"We have something like that at the Wall...not closed in though," he explained, still surveying the inside. He cleared his throat, looking over at Lorelei. "So...you live alone?" he asked.

"Well I have a roommate, Maggy. She's almost never home though. She's always out on dates with what I hope are unmarried men…" she looked over at Jon, knowing he was probably trying to keep a few comments to himself. "I take it women don't usually live alone from where you're from?" he opened his mouth to answer, Lorelei pointed a finger at him and cut him off. "Do _not_ say except for in brothels," Jon chuckled, shrugging slightly. "Where do you live? Er...did? Before Castle Black I mean?" they both stepped out from the elevator, Jon and Ghost once again following after Lorelei as she led them down the hall to her apartment.

Jon looked down at his feet. "I lived in Winterfell. With my family." Lorelei nodded, opening the door and stepping aside to let them in. She waited for a few moments while Jon once again looked around. She was suddenly very aware of how messy her living room was, and felt a small pang of shame that he was seeing it like this.

"Winterfell huh? That makes you a Stark doesn't it?" she walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light. She couldn't believe that she was actually asking these questions. This was all probably just some very weird dream she was having from the stress of too much work. Jon stood awkwardly in the middle of her living room, shifting from foot to foot.

"You know about the Starks?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

Lorelei shrugged. "I know the basics. I know what families live where, the sigils...well, for the most part. The display at work's been teaching me a lot. As much as a person can know these days at least I guess." she explained.

Jon nodded, taking a long pause. "...I'm not a Stark, I'm a bastard. We don't get to keep the family name." he added, frowning when she let out a loud snort.

"Bastard? You too huh? Well, if it makes you feel any better, things are a lot easier on us now. You can make yourself at home, do you want something to drink? I have…" she began, opening her refrigerator and sighing. "...I have wine. That's sad. But I definitely need some after tonight, you want a glass?" Jon nodded. She went to fill their glasses, trying to think of more questions to keep the awkward tension from rising. "So um...this Melisandre, that was her name right? Any idea why she'd wanna do something like this to you? You didn't piss her off? Sleep with her and never call her back?" Jon either didn't get the joke or he didn't find it funny. Lorelei cleared her throat and walked over to him, sitting on the opposite side of the couch and offering him his glass.

"Thank you...I can't really say. She's a witch," he stated. "Stannis says she's a priestess, but she performs blood magic," Lorelei nodded. Of course she did. "She says she has visions, she can see things before they happen. She told me she saw my death, she seemed sure of it. Only I've never believed of the sort. Although, I suppose after seeing White Walkers and stories of dragons…" Lorelei coughed, almost spitting out her wine.

"Dragons? Dragons were real?" she asked, her eyes wide. Jon nodded, as if it she were the absurd one for being so surprised.

"Course. The Targaryens had them. Many people say they'd never have captured the Iron Throne if it weren't for the dragons," he laughed as Lorelei gaped at him. "I take it they're not around now then?" she shook her head.

She jumped when Ghost suddenly dove from his place beside Jon, his teeth bared and growling. Jon and Lorelei both moved from their spots on the couch to see what had upset the wolf, Lorelei sighing once she spotted her cat hiding under the coffee table. She scooped him up in her arms, cradling him against her. "Ghost, leave him. He means no harm. What am I gonna do with you?" he asked playfully, petting Ghost's head.

"I wouldn't say that, Cat can have a mean streak in him." Lorelei joked, rubbing Cat's stomach as he growled. Jon gave her a confused look yet again.

"You named him Cat? That's not a name, that's what he is."

Lorelei scoffed. "It is so a name. It's from a movie...I can't even begin to explain a movie to you. I'll have to show one to you some time. Speaking of which," she looked at her watch, checking the time. "Maybe it's time we get some sleep?" she set Cat down, motioning for Jon to follow her. They stopped at the first doorway. "Maggy hasn't been home for a few days, she probably won't be until the weekend anyways. You can sleep in her room for now...just don't snoop. You'll be confused and probably horrified by what you find," another joke that he clearly didn't get.

"Tomorrow maybe we can look into getting you back...somehow. I have no idea where to start if I'm being honest," she looked over at Jon, eyeing him up and down. "...And maybe we can go shopping. So you'll fit in more." she nodded to herself. "Well...sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning." she gave Jon a small smile, turning and heading for her own room.

Jon stopped her. "Thank you," he started. "For all this, taking me in and helping me. I know how this must seem...I almost don't believe it myself."

"Don't mention it. We'll figure it out, I promise." but she wasn't so sure of that. What she was sure of was that once she fell asleep, she'd wake up the next day (probably still in her office) and realize that all of this was just a very strange, very realistic dream and nothing else. Tomorrow morning there would be no Jon Snow, and her life would return back to normal.

* * *

I'm so glad you all seem to enjoy this story so far! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed and favorited so far! I'm hoping I can keep the momentum going, I should warn you that it's going to be relatively pleasant up until a certain point. This story is also over on Wattpad, so if any of you have accounts there it'd help me out a lot if you could give it some votes. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon for you all!


	3. Chapter 3

When Lorelei woke up the next morning to screaming, she realized that Jon Snow was in fact real and here to stay. There was shouting coming down the hall, both male and female, along with Ghost's barking. Lorelei sighed loudly, willing herself to get out of bed and heading for Maggy's bedroom.

Jon was cowering in bed still, the sheets pulled up to his neck as if he were ashamed of Maggy seeing his bare chest. One hand was held up, shielding himself from the things Maggy was throwing at him. "You disgusting, sneaky bastard!" Maggy screeched, throwing a brush directly for Jon's head. "What are you doing in my bed?! What are you doing in my apartment?!"

Lorelei jumped to stand in front of her roommate, her hands waving wildly. "Maggy! Calm down! This is Jon! He's my friend!" this seemed to appease Maggy, if only a little. She looked between Lorelei and Jon, her eyes wide and wild and her breathing heavy. "I'm sorry," Lorelei continued. "I thought you wouldn't be home for another few days. I should've told you."

"That _thing_ was on my bed!" Maggy finally said, jabbing a finger in Ghost's direction. Jon frowned. "What if he has fleas? What if-" she was cut short when Maggy finally saw her reflection in her vanity mirror. A hand flew up to her red hair, combing through it furiously and rushing over to the mirror and completely forgetting about both Jon and Ghost. "I look _awful_." she groaned. Jon looked at Lorelei slowly, clearly still afraid of her friend. Ghost however was not phased, and quickly jumped back onto the bed to settle next to Jon.

And just as if nothing had happened, Maggy spun around and clearly pleased with her appearance, smiled sweetly at the trio. "Sorry...I didn't mean to startle you. You just surprised me." Jon truly seemed at a loss for words.

"I should be the one apologizing...Lorelei said it would be alright." Lorelei glared at him.

Maggy looked over at her friend, tilting her head. "Where exactly did you two meet? I've never seen him before...and I think I'd definitely remember meeting him," Lorelei's glare shifted to Maggy, before suddenly softening. What was there to be mad at Maggy about?

Jon took the two women having their staredown to sneak out of bed before they noticed. But of course, it didn't work. Maggy looked over at the Jon's movement, her eyes growing wide. "_Wow_." Lorelei looked over to see just what had Maggy so amazed. Jon was staring at the gaping girls like a deer in headlights, suddenly remembering he was undressed. His hands shot up to shield himself yet again, his face turning bright red. "He's a shy one, huh? Seriously, Lor, where did you meet him?"

"Er...from work! He's new, just transferred from a museum back home." Jon smiled and nodded along with Lorelei's explanation.

"I see...where are you from, Jon?"

"The North." Jon said, Lorelei wincing.

"Oh you mean Canada! ...With an accent like that?" Lorelei decided to cut in before Jon dug himself in even deeper.

"He's from...British Columbia!" she said. This seemed to please Maggy (sadly) and she simply shrugged. "Let's let him get dressed huh? Come on Maggy!" she grabbed her friend by the wrist, pulling her and out of the room. She let out a loud sigh of relief when they made it to the living room.

"Lor, he's _gorgeous_. You said he's just a friend? He's not seeing anyone is he? He can't be. He's so fit...and that accent! Sure, he seems a bit shy but he'd warm up to me eventually wouldn't he?" Lorelei was growing more and more annoyed with her roommate's rambling, trying her best to drown her questions out as she rummaged through the kitchen to find their coffee maker. "Lor? Do you think he'd be interested?" what a silly question that was. Of course Jon would be. He wasn't blind. All men fell for Maggy eventually.

It wasn't that Maggy's looks far surpassed her own. Lorelei knew she was attractive enough. But since she buried herself in her work, she just didn't have the time to go out and meet anyone. She didn't enjoy going out on weekends nearly as much as her friend. And Maggy's charismatic attitude paired along with cheekbones to die for was enough to lure a man in like moths to a flame.

But of course it didn't bother her that Maggy was interested in Jon...necessarily. She wasn't jealous, she had no reason to be. In all good conscience, Lorelei couldn't let Maggy start a relationship of any kind with a man that had travelled centuries through time and could very well go back as soon as the next day. That was all. Thankfully before she had to come up with yet another lie, Jon emerged from the hall, finally fully dressed. "Come on, Jon! I promised we would go shopping, remember? We can grab breakfast while we're out. We'll see you later, won't we Maggy? Wonderful!" she grabbed Jon's hand, all but dragging him out of their apartment and into the safety of the hallway.

"Seven hells!" Jon huffed, stumbling after Lorelei into the elevator. "Can't we ever just _walk_ out of a room? You almost pulled my arm off!" he crossed his arms defensively, noticeably scooting away from Lorelei. She gave him a thin smile in apology, not bothering to give him an explanation. She wasn't entirely sure she had much of one to begin with.

* * *

"I look ridiculous." Jon muttered, turning in a full circle in front of the full length mirrors that sat outside the dressing rooms of what had to have been the tenth store they'd been in. Lorelei rolled her eyes.

"You don't. This is what men wear now, honest. It's not like those pants you were wearing before weren't as tight as those jeans." she offered. Jon looked down at the pair of black jeans he wore, frowning and clearly uncomfortable.

"They're not very practical are they? How would I ride? How would I fight? How would I..._walk_?"

"You'll get used to them. And there aren't many dragons and horses in the city. I think you'll be just fine. Honestly, Jon. We've been at this all morning. You look great. Can't you just trust me on this? It's much more inconspicuous," Jon scoffed. "I'm overruling you on this decision," Jon noticeably bristled, but said nothing. He knew she wouldn't let him win this fight. "Now, time for breakfast? ...Or I guess lunch?" she smiled widely and headed off to the front of the store, not waiting for Jon's answer.

It didn't take long on their journey to lunch (walking, because Jon did _not_ like the subway) for Jon to catch a few looks. It didn't go unnoticed to Lorelei that this too made Jon uncomfortable. "Aren't girls falling over each other to get a chance with you back home?" He seemed to be thrown off by her question.

"Me? No. Once we take the Black we vow not to own land, have children...why are you looking at me like that?"

Lorelei shook her head. "Sorry...I just didn't realize. That's...sad." she frowned. While she could easily figure out why Jon would so willingly join the Night's Watch, she herself couldn't imagine feeling so alone to willingly give up the chance at having a fulfilling life the way he had. She realized there had to be much more to Jon than she'd ever realized. Just as they reached the small cafe she'd chosen for lunch, she decided to change the subject before she ruined the meal by upsetting Jon. "Maggy didn't scare you did she? Maybe I should have warned you about her...she can fly off the handle pretty quickly."

Jon chuckled and shook his head. "It's alright. I imagine I would be pretty startled as well if I saw a stranger in my bed." Lorelei laughed at the idea. She could picture it easily, Jon all red faced and stuttering at the sight of a woman in his bed. "To be honest, she reminds me quite a lot of my sister, Sansa." she perked up. So she wouldn't have to worry about keeping the two apart after all.

"Oh? Is she your only sibling?"

"I have five all together. Three brothers, two sisters," while Jon had seemed happy to mention his sister, something about the talk of siblings had brought back that sad look, and Lorelei regretted asking him at all. But instead of continuing the conversation about his family, he frowned down at his menu. "...I don't know what any of this is."

Lorelei smiled, waving a hand at him. "Don't worry, I'll order for you." Jon sat back, taking in the small cafe around him until the waitress came by the table. Lorelei ordered two burgers and a milkshake, laughing at Jon's uneasy expression. While Jon clearly wasn't thrilled with all of the changes, she had to admit he was taking it all in stride with minimal complaints...aside from the skinny jeans. "So, I've been thinking about what we can do to get you back home. I can't make any promises of course, but my boss might be able to help...at least in some capacity. He's a bit odd but even he might think I'm insane if we tell him the truth."

"Do you really think he can? I don't reckon you have many witches or wizards around that could send me back?" he sighed at Lorelei's silence. "I appreciate you helping me, I do. But I think we both need to acknowledge that there is a great chance I won't ever go back."

Lorelei sighed. "Jon, we'll find a way. There has to be something. This can't just be a one way trip. What if Melisandre is trying to find a way right now?" Jon let out a snort. "I mean it! You said that she saw you dying. She somehow sent you through time. I know you said that you don't believe she has powers, but clearly she does. What if she really did see your death?"

"And why would that matter? I swore on my life to protect the realm. Dying sometimes come with that, it's not a surprise. Why would it matter to Melisandre or anyone if I died? What could possibly be so important about me?"

"Jon…" she reached forward, setting her hand over his. She jerked her hand away when the waitress arrived with their food, grumbling to herself when she gave Jon an overly friendly smile before she left. Jon eyed his food for a few minutes before finally taking a small sip of his milkshake. He noticed Lorelei watching him with an expectant look.

He chuckled, nodding in approval. "It's good." Lorelei smiled back widely, proud that finally she'd found a change that made Jon happy.

* * *

Jon clearly does not appreciate being eye candy and dragged around like a rag doll. Don't forget to review, and thanks you to everyone who's favorited and followed!


	4. Chapter 4

Jon and Lorelei were on their way back to her apartment after lunch when she stopped dead in her tracks, tugging on Jon's arm harshly. "That dress!" she gasped, moving closer to the window of the shop, almost pressing her face up against the glass. She stared up at the deep red dress, Jon looking on with an amused look. "It would be perfect for this weekend. I have to have it." she pulled Jon inside the store.

"What's the occasion?" this finally was familiar to him. Sansa had often gushed about the dresses she'd wear to dinner and the many events the Stark's attended. But he had a hard time imagining such dresses were worn to name day celebrations and the like in a time like this.

He almost thought Lorelei hadn't heard him, she was so enthralled with the dress. "Hmm? Oh! We're having a gala at the museum, for the opening of the display. Everyone dresses up, there's food and music...you might actually like it. Well have to get you a tux."

"...Tux?" he asked warily. But she hadn't heard that question. Lorelei had rushed off with a shop attendant, dress in hand, towards the back of the store. Jon let out a soft sigh, sticking his hands in the front pockets of his damned jeans and stood awkwardly by the counter while he waited for her. He wondered if he would still be here for Lorelei's gala. Jon supposed that either he was stuck in New York for good, or even that tomorrow Melisandre could come for him and he'd be taken home.

And what if he were stuck there? Would Lorelei and Maggy allow him to stay with them? Would she give up on him and leave him on his own? After the things he'd been through, he was fairly certain he could possibly handle finding a new life in New york, but he would be lying if he said Lorelei hadn't made things easier. Maybe she was right, maybe he'd have it easier there. There weren't any White Walkers, dragons or Wildlings trying to kill him or any of the rest of the Night's Watch. It didn't seem that they even need the Night's Watch any longer. But what would that leave left for Jon to do?

His thoughts were cut short when Lorelei walked back into view. "What do you think?" she asked, smiling widely and turning in a circle in front of him to show off the gown. It wasn't anything like the gowns women wore back home. The bodice was made of lace, the skirt a darker shade of red tulle. When she turned, he saw the bodice was cut to her lower back, the skirt's train trailing far back behind her. He had to admit, it looked like it had been made for her.

"You look beautiful," he said, earning another smile from Lorelei. "You'd make Cersei Lannister jealous."

"Lannister?" she questioned, moving to look at herself in the full length mirror. "Weren't they evil?" while that rang true, Lorelei's golden blonde hair and dark brown eyes definitely said Lannister.

"Well...they weren't all bad." he thought of Tyrion and the small friendship they'd built during his visit to Castle Black. Lorelei noticed that sad look Jon had had during lunch when she asked about his family had returned, and she wondered what sort of things the Lannisters must have done to him.

She looked down at her dress one last time before turning towards the dressing rooms. "I'll be right back...I'll drop you back off home before I head to the museum. Dr. Stroup should be in by now, maybe I can find some answers." she just hoped he and ghost would be able to stay out of trouble while she was gone.

* * *

Henry was there to greet Lorelei once she stepped into the main lobby of the museum. But instead of quiet, empty atmosphere they'd been in last night, there were tourists and school groups filling the room nearly to it's capacity. She dodged a few people as she hurried over to his desk, hoping her smile didn't look to nervous. "Morning Henry, is Dr. Stroup in yet?"

"Just got here maybe twenty minutes ago...seemed pretty uppity about something but I didn't get a chance to ask what. Hey, how's that cousin of yours?" Lorelei frowned at him for a moment before she realized he was asking about Jon.

"Hmm? Oh! Jon? He's great, Maggy and I got him all settled in last night. I'm still really sorry about that by the way…"

"Don't worry about it! I'm an easy scare," he chuckled. "Anyways, Stroup's over in his office if you're looking for him." Lorelei thanked Henry and made her way through the crowds and to the curator's office. To say he was 'uppity' had been putting it lightly.

His white blonde hair was sticking up in complete disarray, and it seemed as if he'd only thrown on a blazer over his pajamas before rushing to work. He was practically laying across his dek, a magnifying glass pressed against the red frames of his glasses, his eyes appearing three times their usual size. Lorelei quickly noticed he was studying some sort of choker. "Er...Dr. Stroup?" she asked, surprised he hadn't seemed to notice that she'd walked in.

Her boss looked up at her, suddenly jumping off his desk. "Lorelei! Excellent, I was just about to call you! We've found another piece for the display," he gently picked the necklace up, holding it up for her to get a closer look. "Isn't it magnificent?" Lorelei nodded, taking a closer look at the necklace, especially the large, red jewel that adorned it. "I'm told it belonged to a Melisandre, she worked closely with Stannis Baratheon."

Lorelei's eyes widened at the name. "Are you alright, Lorelei?"

"Oh, yes!" she shook her head. "I'm sorry...where exactly was this found? I thought we'd put everything down in the display." Dr. Stroup rolled his eyes, placing the necklace back on his desk.

"Someone just found it lying about in storage...remind me after this blasted display is open, the two of us are going to hire a completely new staff. A more competent staff." he scoffed. Lorelei wasn't entirely listening to him anymore. She was staring still at Melisandre's necklace. Surely there had to be a reason for this, for it to just have appeared into the museum out of nowhere. But she couldn't even begin to imagine what that reason might be. Was this sort of sign from Melisandre? She'd sent Jon through time, why not an object?

"Dr. Stroup? Do you know anything about witches? And time travel?" she was sure if she'd asked anyone else this question, they would've looked at her as if she'd sprouted another head. But the curator looked up from the choker, tapping his chin in thought. "I mean...has there ever been proof of it? Any evidence?"

Dr. Stroup laughed. "Of course not. But then it's hard enough to get proof over most historical happenings, let alone anything having to deal with witchcraft...but it isn't unheard of," Lorelei perked up. "There's been speculation behind it. You know, that maybe witches could have been behind a few 'unexplainable' things. _Especially_ in Westeros. There was a religious group, they worshiped a 'Lord of Light'. I've read many saw them as a band of witches, some might even say devil worshippers. Depending on who you asked...I suppose if it's true what they say, that these people really could raise others from the dead, time travel wouldn't exactly be unheard of."

Then that answered at least one question for Lorelei. Melisandre definitely had sent Jon here. But for what? And how was he ever going to get back home? "Do you know anything else about her? Melisandre?"

"Not just yet...but I'll definitely be looking into it. You know how those tourists eat that mythical nonsense up. I must say though Lorelei, I've never seen you so enthusiastic about your work before."

Lorelei smiled nervously. "Oh...well you know, there's a lot of history here. It's fascinating…" but more so than that she had the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch sitting at home on her couch.

"That it is. I wonder if those idiots have left anything else in storage. With any luck maybe even some other belongings of Melisandre's. If you'll excuse me Lorelei...you'll be at the gala, yes?"

She nodded. "Of course, sir. I can't wait," she said, her smile more believable this time. She left the curator's office, heading back out to the lobby when her cellphone rang. She frowned at the screen, noticing it was her neighbor from across the hall, a nice older woman named Mrs. Manchester. "Mrs. Manchester? Is everything alright?" she didn't think in the few years she'd been living there her neighbor had ever called her, they'd only exchanged numbers in case of emergencies.

"Well...I'm not sure. Maggy isn't home is she?"

"No, she's out for the night...what's wrong?"

"I think maybe someone's broken into your apartment, dear. It doesn't look like the door's been broken down...but there's the loudest racket coming from inside. It sounds like maybe the radio or TV is on too loud? You can almost hear it all the way down the hall."

"Oh god...I'm so sorry, Mrs. Manchester. I'm on my way right now. I think I know what it is." she said her goodbyes and sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jon.

* * *

I'm so, so sorry I haven't posted this sooner. I just did NOT want to post this chapter for some reason. But at least it moves things further along, and there's finally some established ~feelings~ happening, right?


	5. Chapter 5

The moment Lorelei stepped out of the elevator, she could hear the music coming from down the hall. A few of her neighbors had their heads poked out of their apartments, glaring angrily at her apartment. She hurried past them and inside, covering her ears and looking around for Jon.

Ghost was hiding under her dining room table, whining loudly and batting his paws at his ears. Jon was standing in front of the entertainment center that sat in the living room, waving his arms wildly and yelling at the stereo. Lorelei shoved past him and shut it off, glaring back at him. "What in the seven hells was that music? I feel like I've almost gone deaf!" he yelled, backing away from her.

"It's Katy Perry, drama queen. Why would you mess with that if you don't know what it is? I'm amazed the neighbors didn't call the cops!"

"...Cops?" Jon asked. Lorelei sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Listen, I'm sorry. I just thought I would try get familiar with the place. If I'll be staying here...what a mistake that was." Jon plopped down onto the couch, looking truly shaken. Lorelei couldn't help but laugh. "What's funny? I could've died of heart failure! You could've come home to me lying dead on the ground, what would you have done then?"

Lorelei rolled her eyes and smiled. "Probably would've just given you mouth to mouth and scared you back to life," Jon frowned, growing noticeably red and grumbling to himself. "Anyways, I have news from work," she moved to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of wine like she had the night before and sat next to Jon. "Melisandre's necklace is at the museum. I'm thinking that must mean something important, right? And you can argue with me all you want about witchy stuff not existing, but I'm almost positive it was her that sent you here. I think she's trying to send you a message, that she's coming back for you."

"That makes perfect sense." Jon nodded.

"Doesn't it?...Wait, are you being sarcastic?" she gaped at him.

"I'm from a different time, not a moron. You spend enough time around my sister Arya and you become _very_ familiar with sarcasm," if Lorelei wasn't annoyed yet, she definitely was when she saw Jon's tiny, proud smirk. "And it doesn't make sense because she's got no reason to have sent me here," Lorelei opened her mouth. "And don't say because she saw me dying. I don't believe in her visions."

"Well I do," now Jon rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'll ever get into the tragic backstory you clearly have, but the sooner you accept what I'm telling you, the sooner we can get you home…stop pouting."

"_I'm not pouting_."

"Mmhmm...you said something about the Wildlings? Could they be trying to kill you?" having Jon here was a surreal experience in itself, but trying to solve a murder before it actually happened took it to a whole different level.

Jon took a moment to think, and Lorelei realized the list of people that wanted him dead might be a lot longer than she'd imagined. "I doubt it's them. Before I left they were surprisingly the least of my problems. I suppose it _could_ have something to do with the White Walkers…" Jon took Lorelei's frown to mean she didn't know what a White Walker was. "They're...well they _were_ people. Once a person's died, if the body isn't burned they come to life. The bodies are frozen, and if they touch you…"

Lorelei took a large sip of her wine. "So, basically they're frozen zombies?" Jon raised an eyebrow. "Zombies? You don't have zombies? You have dragons, and giants and walking ice pops and you don't know zombie? I think I'll have to tell Dr. Stroup we won't even begin to understand Westros," she muttered. "So, if it was really White Walkers that are supposed to kill you...what's the connection between you and them that would make her want to save you?"

It was a rhetorical question. Surely if Jon already knew why he'd been sent there, they wouldn't be in this mess. But Jon had started to squirm uncomfortably and started taking large gulps of his wine. "...You're not telling me something." this wasn't a question.

"Well...there's something that might give some insight.." he had turned a bright shade of red. "She came to me in my chambers...she um...well, she...oh, you bloody know what I'm trying to say." he huffed.

Lorelei's eyebrows raised and her mouth formed an 'O' shape. "She came on to you huh? ...So, you think she's sent you here as a way to keep her little boy toy safe?" he didn't answer, and Lorelei looked him up and down. "Well I guess I could see why she'd do that...did you two…?

"What? No!"

"I'm only asking! I mean, if you had that could easily be the reason. I know I would wanna keep you safe if we were…" she stopped at the smug look Jon was giving her. "...Nevermind," Lorelei sighed heavily, drinking what was left of her wine. "We should eat. I'm gonna order a pizza."

* * *

Though Jon said he couldn't stand reality TV, it seemed like he couldn't pull himself away from watching housewives screaming at each other. He also seemed to have taken quite a liking to Hawaiian pizza. For most of the night Lorelei had sat back and observed Jon, watching him inhale an entire pizza himself along with chocolate milkshakes (she'd lost count of how many she'd made him) and finding herself surprised at how comfortable it felt. It seemed she'd finally gotten over the initial shock of having Jon around and was finally able to enjoy how at ease and even happy he looked.

They laid on the floor in front of her TV in a comfortable silence, something neither of them had felt in a long, long time. Ghost had made himself at home on her couch, sound asleep. It was a horrible thought she knew, but Lorelei decided if they weren't able to send Jon back home, she wouldn't mind having him around. Surely there wasn't anything back home that he couldn't leave behind, was there?

"Jon?" she asked, turning to him and propping her head on her hand. Jon looked over at her briefly, raising his eyebrows. "Did you have someone back home? I mean...I know you have to swear off women, but if I know men, and I think that I do...er, no offense."

Upon seeing the look on Jon's face, she immediately regretting asked. "For a little while." was all he said. When Lorelei opened her mouth to say he didn't need to talk about her, he stopped her. "No, it's alright. Her name was Ygritte. She was a Wildling."

"What happened to her?"

"She was killed. The Wildlings attacked Castle Black."

"Do you still love her?"

"I'll always love her." Lorelei wished she could help Jon. In more ways than just getting him back where he said he belonged. She could see he didn't want to speak about Ygritte. He was avoiding eye contact, his body had become more stiff and unmoving than usual. It gave her the overwhelming feeling that she needed to do _something_ to fix it...she just didn't know what.

"Jon…"

He looked over at her finally, jaw clenched tightly. Lorelei was at a loss for words. She couldn't form any sort of sentence that might fix what she'd done by bringing up Ygritte. They sat there in a tense yet surprisingly comfortable silence, waiting for someone to say or do something.

And Lorelei could have sworn she saw Jon lean forward towards her for a split second before her door burst open. "Oh hi guys!" Maggy greeted cheerfully. Jon cleared his throat loudly, turning back to the TV. "Oh my God, you're watching Housewives? I love this show! Have I missed anything good? Ooo! Pizza!"

Lorelei smiled thinly at her roommate who quickly made herself at home between the two of them, holding in a low grumble. Had she been imagining things? Of course she was. She'd simply had had too many glasses of wine. That was all.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't understand!" Lorelei huffed. "It's Spring. It's supposed to be warm." she was complaining to no one in particular; Jon was trailing along dutifully and silently behind her. They both had coats wrapped tightly around them, both using their coffee (Lorelei had practically physically threatened him into just _trying_ some) to keep their hands warm. It wasn't as if they weren't used to the cold, but Lorelei was nursing a little bit of a headache and her mood was effectively making Jon uneasy.

"Winter can last for years back home. It may be cold on the Wall, but my father says I've never truly experienced win-"

"Jon," she cut him off, looking at him with narrow eyes. "Do you have any idea that everything you say sounds like you're about to march out into war? I swear, it's like living with Braveheart…"

Jon gave her a small, sheepish smile and quieted. The pair ducked inside the museum and away from the cold, Lorelei letting out a loud, satisfied sigh. "Morning Lorelei. And Jon! Nice to see you again." Henry greeted the pair with a wide grin.

"And you sir-..." if she hadn't cut him off with another dirty look, Lorelei would have been sure Jon had been about to bow. "...Hello Henry." Jon corrected himself, smiling back at the guard.

"Here to set up for the gala? The boss won't be in 'til later, so you're in for a few hours of quiet." Henry joked, Lorelei trying her best to give him a genuine smile. "Let me know if you two need anything, it's gonna be a slow day." it was a rare occasion that the museum was quiet, and Lorelei of course preferred to do her work without having to hear the sound of children screaming while on field trips. The fact that Dr. Stroup would also be gone for most of the day was an added bonus.

The pair said their goodbyes to Henry and made their way back to the place where they met; the Westros exhibit. "Alright Jon...I hope I can trust you here," she began, turning towards him. He was too busy looking at the dragon hanging above him. "I'm hoping you'll be able to find a few clues...or who knows, maybe something sentimental," she recalled seeing a few pieces that had come from members of the Stark family, but really had no idea of knowing whether Jon would recognize any of it.

"I'll be just two rooms down this hall if you need me or if you find anything...try not to break anything." Jon rolled his eyes but nodded. Lorelei moved to leave the room, but turned back towards Jon. This had been the only time since the night before that they'd truly been alone and she just _had_ to ask if she'd been imagining things just before they'd been interrupted.

"...Something wrong?" Jon asked.

"No...it's just. Um…" she let out a loud sigh. "Last night? Before Maggy came home...you weren't going to...well, _you know_. Were you?" she wanted to slap herself across the face. The question had sounded ridiculous enough in her head, but now that she'd said it out loud she wanted to run and hide.

Jon visibly grew red, but smiled nonetheless. "I was actually going to ask _you_ that…"

"What? Me? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you were leaning in towards _me_, Lorelei." she stood there staring at him, her mouth hanging open. That couldn't possibly have been true...could it? She _had_ been the one drinking. Yet at the same time had no feasible reason to ever want to kiss Jon. The amused grin he had while he watched her stutter only angered her if anything.

"I did _not _try to kiss you. I was drinking...I just lost my balance!"

"You women are so forward these days, I'll give you that." he laughed. Lorelei scoffed loudly, again at a loss for words. She crossed her arms, refusing to look at Jon who only grew more amused the more aggravated she became. She wanted to slap him.

"You are just...you're…" she huffed loudly, spinning around on her heel and stomping out of the room. Up until this point Jon had been sweating bullets if he were even ten feet away from a girl, but of course _now_ he was perfectly comfortable enough to harass her. "You women are so forward these days…"she mocked him, scoffing loudly again as she threw her bag down onto one of the tables that were to be used for the gala.

"...Is everything alright Lorelei?" Lorelei gasped and spun around, taken by surprise that she wasn't the only one in the hall. When her eyes finally settled on the man that quite literally fit the tall, dark and handsome description, she rolled her eyes. As if her day wasn't bad enough already.

"Joe. What are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering to hide how annoyed she was. Joe Kingman was a very prestigious art collector in New York, and also unfortunately Lorelei's ex-boyfriend. The two had met at one of the museum's many galas. Joe had been donating a few pieces from his personal collection when Dr. Stroup had introduced the two. Joe had been charming at first, wining and dining her and constantly spoiling her. But after a year or two passed, the two became more and more wrapped up in their work and it had taken it's toll on their relationship.

Joe quickly became very jealous and angry. He was constantly accusing her of seeing other people behind his back and taking out his frustrations on her. Lorelei decided to end things before things between them could possibly get any worse.

The pair still ran into occasionally through their work, and while Joe put on his charming facade, Lorelei couldn't ever hide her disdain for the man she'd once loved.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Dr. Stroup. I have a few pieces to add to your Westeros display." of course he did.

"Well he isn't here. You can come back in a few hours. Now, if you'll excuse me…" she turned away from him, quickly pretending to busy herself with checking over the guest list. Joe reached forward and gently wrapped his hand around her wrist, spinning her around to face him.

"Lor, it's been two years. Don't you think we can put that behind us? At least act civil?" it may have sounded genuine. If anyone else had been in the room surely they would believe that Joe was truly sorry for the way things had ended between two two of them. That he wanted to fix things and be happy together again. But Lorelei knew better. This was all so he could try to control her again, and Lorelei would rather have dropped dead than let that happen.

She jerked away from him, scowling up at Joe. "Get away from me. I have work to do and Dr. Stroup isn't here. So goodbye." that was all it took. Joe's calm exterior dropped, the man glaring down at her. He stepped in front of her as she tried to escape, gripping both her arms to keep her in place. "Joe! I said let me go."

"No. Not until you agree to lunch, dinner...whatever you want. We need to talk about this." Joe had never acted this way with her before. Then again all of their other run ins had been in public places, in rooms filled with other people. He would never slip up and behave in such a way that could possibly tarnish his reputation.

Lorelei was quickly becoming more and more nervous. She looked around the large, empty room hoping someone would happen to walk in and unknowingly save her. Of course she had no such luck. She could yell for Jon, she knew he'd come running, but Joe was grabbing her arms so tightly sure was almost sure she'd be left with bruises and there was no telling what else he could try.

"Let _go_ of me!" She lifted her foot and came down hard onto Joe's with her heel. Joe cursed loudly, staggering backwards and letting Lorelei just enough time to grab her bag from beside her and rushing away. She ignored Joe calling after her, and what sounded like 'this isn't over!' and headed back to where she left Jon.

Her breathing was a little labored, something she hoped no one else would notice. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her arms burned where Joe had been grabbing her. Her eyes began to slowly fill with tears and she decided there wasn't any way she could let someone see her in such a state.

She let out a loud, shaky breath and wiped her eyes as best she could without smduging her make up and making it completely obvious she'd been crying. At a certain point, she'd been very afraid of Joe. She was never entirely sure why. He had always been mostly bark and no bite. But she always worried one day he would finally do something to give her a reason to be afraid. What was worse, no one would ever believe her. Who could ever believe a charming, successful man like Joe King would ever threaten or lay his hands on a woman? And what was she to do? Her job forced her to work alongside Joe. Suddenly she wished _she_ could be thrown through time and given a new life.

"...Lorelei? What's wrong?" she jumped at the sound of Jon's voice, quickly turning her back to him.

"Nothing. I'm fine, don't worry about me. Have you found anything?" Jon frowned, obviously not buying her story. He decided not to pry, hoping maybe Lorelei would eventually tell him on her own.

"I did actually. It's not exactly something that could help send me back, but it is from home."

"That's great!" Lorelei finally turned to face Jon, smiling. It was obvious that she'd been crying, but Jon said nothing. "I'd love to see it."

Lorelei followed behind Jon, weaving their way through the exhibit until he stopped in front of a large stone figure of a woman. The features had mostly been worn away with age, but the engraving beneath the woman's feet remained. "Lyanna Stark...you know her?" she asked, looking over at Jon.

He shook his head. "I didn't, I just knew of her. She was my aunt. My father never spoke much about her to us. She died before I was born...there's a few different stories about how that happened. I'm sure it's probably off settling, a grave comforting me...but it's from home. My brother Bran used to run all over Winterfell, climbing the walls, hiding down in the tombs. I miss him…"

Lorelei smiled weakly at Jon, stepping towards him slowly and placing her head on his shoulder. "I know. Don't worry Jon, I'll get you home."

"I know you will...Lorelei?"

"Hmm?"

"...What's Braveheart?"


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week had passed by quickly. Lorelei had tried to pry as much as she could for information at work to no avail. She'd even tried googling both Jon and Melisandre, and still nothing. While Lorelei had if anything become more frantic with the lack of information, Jon seemed nearly unphased. This only worried her more. It was as if Jon had completely given up on the hopes of ever going back home. Of course there were worse things than Jon sticking around. _Much_ worse things.

While Lorelei studied up on Westros, Jon studied up on modern living. She'd shown him Back to the Future and Braveheart; during which Jon had decided he didn't appreciate her joke from a few days before. He'd even begun to entertain the idea of working at the museum along with Lorelei. After all he _would_ know more about Westros than she would.

But the time for the gala had finally arrived. They had rented Jon a tux and Lorelei had convinced him into letting her tame his curls for the night. He and Ghost were both pacing the length of her living room while they waited for her to get ready. Jon let out a loud sigh and started fidgeting with his cufflinks for what had to be the tenth time that night. "Lorelei, are you ready? We'll miss it if you take much longer." he meant it as a joke, but his tone came out a bit more snappy than intended. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so nervous about tonight. He was sure it would be just like any of the feasts the Starks had back home; he would be quiet and unnoticed by everyone. Of course not that he wanted the attention.

"I'll be just a minute! I can't find my earring!" Lorelei called from down the hall. Jon sighed, shaking his head.

"There's one thing that hasn't changed over time," he said to Ghost. "_Women_." He sat down on the couch with a loud thump, crossing his arms and grumbling to himself. Ghost layed down at his feet silently. Jon began to wonder if Lorelei would abandon him at the gala. Surely she would run off to mingle with all her associates and the historians and press she said would be at the party. If he was being completely honest with himself, he wasn't entirely sure why he needed to tag along to begin with.

"Alright, I'm all ready," Lorelei announced. Jon looked up at her, all his worries of going unnoticed at the party disappearing. There wasn't anyway that could happen with her on his arm. "...Jon?" he shook his head, realizing he was probably gaping at her like a fool. "I can't look _that_ good." she laughed, praying she wasn't blushing quite as badly as she thought she was. She could feel her stomach flipping just slightly, and quickly wondered if it was nervousness over the gala or because of the way Jon was looking at her.

It wasn't like this was the first time he'd looked at her that way. She'd noticed it the day she'd first tried her dress on, and again the night he had told her about Ygritte. She of course wondered what it meant, but never intended on asking.

Jon stood, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep himself from taking her hands in his. "You look beautiful. Cersei would definitely want you dead." he smiled when she laughed. Lorelei mumbled an embarrassed thank you and headed towards her kitchen, collecting a few things from the counter and placing them into the small, gold clutch she was carrying. Jon watched her, how she was mumbling to herself as she picked up her things, reached up to check if she'd remembered to put on her necklace about three different times, how her golden blonde curls swayed as she ping ponged through her apartment trying to hurry and find their tickets.

He felt a deep, hollow feeling in his chest as he watched her. It was a familiar feeling to him. He had felt it when he'd learned of his father and Robb's deaths. When he'd held Ygritte for the last time while she died in his arms. He had felt it the day he left for the Wall, leaving his sisters and brothers at Winterfell, most likely to never see them again. He felt it the day he saw his uncle's horse arriving back to Castle Black without Benjen riding him. It was loss.

Jon knew that there was a chance soon he would never see Lorelei again. Lorelei, who he'd grown so fond of in such a short time. Who had helped him with something so completely absurd that he himself couldn't believe it was happening. Would it be wrong to have a little hope that there was nothing to be done about him being in New York? Was it so completely out of the question for him to wonder, after all the pain he'd been through, Jon Snow, the bastard of Winterfell deserved a little happiness?

"Yes!" Jon's head snapped in Lorelei's direction. She was holding up two tickets and smiling widely. "I knew I hadn't lost them! Are you all ready to go?" Jon smiled the best he could and nodded, holding out his arm for Lorelei to take. Lorelei smiled back, hers more genuine than his, and took his arm.

* * *

"This is...something," Jon said once they'd arrived to the gala, surveying the large room. The banners of the houses of Westros hung in two rows from the ceilings. The dragon that had previously been in the Westros display hung between the banners for the night. And though there were small, round tables set all around the room, Jon easily recognized the tankards, goblets and utensils that were similar to ones he'd used back home. The only light in the room came from the large torches placed alongside the room, the guests shadows dancing across the walls. Jon almost felt homesick. "You did all this?" he asked, looking over at Lorelei. She was busy looking at her handy work, smiling proudly.

"Well...I oversaw the decorating. You like it?"

"Almost like being home." he said, Lorelei's smile growing wider. Jon was sure that by now she would run off and leave him to sit in a corner by himself. His suspicions were confirmed when Lorelei pulled her arm from his, but felt a wave of relief when she took his hand in hers. He gladly let her lead him across the large room, watching her smile and greet the people she passed. Jon was sure that had Lorelei been in Westros, she could easily marry a knight or a nobleman and fit the role of lady of the manor perfectly.

They stopped at the bar, Lorelei leaning forward to speak to the bartender. She turned around moments later with two flutes of champagne, holding one out to Jon. "Try it. It's delicious I promise." and since so far Jon could agree that everything she'd told him to try had in fact been delicious, he took the glass and took a sip.

He coughed, covering his mouth to keep himself from spitting the champagne all over Lorelei. She laughed loudly, grabbing a napkin and handing it to him. He wiped his mouth, handing her the glass back. "I think I prefer ale."

"It's not for everyone. Come on, let's go see some of the new pieces!" she dragged Jon off again, towards the far side of the room where a few paintings were displayed. "These were just donated. I haven't even gotten to see them yet." she didn't let his hand go, but her attention had been fully stolen by the art.

Jon looked at each of them, recognizing a few of the subjects. There was a painting of Storm's End, lightning striking the tallest tower. There were a few of the Targaryen's, riding atop their dragons into battle. One of the paintings however, made him wish he'd never agreed to coming along to the gala. "Oh wow…" Lorelei said, looking up at the same painting that left Jon frozen in his place. "The red wedding...I've heard of this. I was researching music for the band to play. I read about the Rains of Castamere. The Boltons helped the Lannisters practically slaughter Robb Sta-...oh, Jon," Jon was still staring at the painting. He'd heard of what happened to his brother of course. He'd tried to imagine what it must've been like, but now that he was seeing this painting, he realized he came severely short.

"Jon I'm so sorry. We don't have to look at these anymore...I had no idea someone would ever paint such a thing."

Jon shook his head. "No, no. How were you to know? ...I think I'll go get a drink. Do you want another?" Lorelei shook her head and watched sadly as Jon dropped her hand and walked off towards the bar. She pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly very angry with herself. It was gruesome enough for her to look at the painting, she couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for Jon.

"Something wrong?" Lorelei stifled a groan. This night was quickly turning to shit.

"Joe...I mean this in the kindest way possible, fuck off." she glared over at him. Joe wasn't looking at her, but rather the paintings as if he weren't listening. He took a sip of wine, looking over at her finally with a smirk and a cold look in his eyes.

"You know, that's no way to thank me for giving all these paintings to the museum. You should really be more kind to me, Lorelei," he reached for her, wrapping his hand around her wrist tightly. Lorelei clenched her teeth, trying to pull away. His grip grew tighter. "We should really talk about what happened the other day, don't you think?"

"Can we do this later please? I don't know if you're aware, but we're in a room full of people. You might not want to let them all know what a sick bastard you can be." she winced as he squeezed her wrist tightly. He stepped closer to her and she could instantly smell the alcohol on his breath. It made sense now, why he was being so bold. He was drunk.

"You know, I've always hated that smart ass mouth of yours. Haven't you heard the saying, women should be seen and not heard?"

"Ah, abusive and sexist. Don't I know how to pick 'em?"

Joe chuckled. "You're lucky there's witnesses. Otherwise I might have to smack that attitude out of you." Lorelei struggled against him then, not caring if it would cause a scene. Maybe if someone did see they would believe her about what a monster Joe was.

"Joe. Let go of me. I mean it." she pulled and pulled, but Joe wouldn't soften his grip.

"Or what? You'll step on my foot again?" he laughed, pulling her back against him. People were starting to look their way, but no one seemed in a hurry to help. "You're embarrassing yourself, Lorelei. Stop struggling or I can make this a lot worse for you."

Lorelei was using her free hand to push against Joe's chest, trying to pry herself away. She was sure by the way Joe was smiling and laughing their audience probably assumed they were in the middle of some sort of lover's quarrel.

"I believe she asked you to let her go." Joe and Lorelei both looked over at Jon, Lorelei letting out a loud sigh of relief. Joe laughed loudly.

"And who are you? I don't think this is any of your business. Now get the hell out of here before you get hurt, huh?" and many other men would have probably listened. Other men would easily be intimidated by Joe and decided it just wasn't worth getting their asses handed to them.

But regardless of the fact that he was fairly certain if he didn't know better that Joe was a Dothraki screamer, Jon wasn't scared. He'd fought giants and cannibals. He'd led an army. He wasn't about to let some drunk get away with hurting Lorelei.

Jon threw his entire weight into the punch he threw at Joe. Lorelei's wrist was let free and she shoved Joe away, sending him to the ground. Some guests around them gasped as Joe fell, the room filling with murmuring. Lorelei ignored the flash of cameras pointed at them and grabbed Jon's hand yet again. They ran as fast as they could through the room, weaving through guests and laughing.

The pair stopped once they were outside, across the street from Central Park just like the night they'd first met. The laughter died down, both of them catching their breath. "Are you alright? I'm sorry I wasn't there soon-"

"Oh please! I'm just thankful you were there at all. I never imagined he'd try something like that...in public anyways. Thank you, Jon." she leaned forward, kissing him gently on the cheek. Jon gave her that look again, the one that made her stomach flutter. He had that proud smirk again, the one he got when he made a witty comeback to whatever smart ass comment she made.

But it quickly disappeared and he smiled again. "I take it you know him then?"

"Sadly...it's a long story."

"I've got nothing but time," he held out his arm for her again. "What do you say? The night's still young."

Lorelei took his arm. "That sounds perfect to me. There's a bottle of wine at home that has our name on it." the pair walked off towards the park, Lorelei's head resting on Jon's shoulder.

* * *

I know not much happened plot wise, but things are happening romance wise! I was up until about four in the morning writing this one so sorry if there's any mistakes I haven't noticed! I'd also just like to point out a little easter egg...well, a few. Usually if Jon mentions a character reminds him of someone (lorelei reminding him of a Lannister, Maggy remind him of Sansa and comparing Joe to a Dothraki screamer) they could very well be a long off descendant of some characters that come from Westros. I should also mention a certain white haired, eccentric curator has been showing a glimpse of the Targaryen madness, don't you think?


End file.
